Studies conducted by the Iranian Behavioral Science Foundation indicate that the ‘Broken Heart Syndrome’ is 9 times more prevalent in women.
The study on a sample group of 6,750 people, said that “prolonged stress as a result of emotional break or loss of a loved one” can develop symptoms similar to cardiovascular diseases in women, Mehr news agency reported.
The research studied the effects of loss of spouse, or witnessing his/her disease or disability, and the results indicated that the prevalence of the syndrome in women is 9 times more than in men for the group under the age of 55, and 7 times more for those over the age of 55, said Dr. Majid Abhari, social and behavioral expert and pathologist.
Adrenaline receptor cells number more in the hearts of men than in women, “therefore they can endure sorrow and stress better.” Chronic mental stress and environmental shocks can easily develop physical problems for women, he added.
